AND ENGLISH PHYSICIAN ENLARGED. 57 
a nutmeg eaten every morning, is sufficient 
dose for inward diseases; but for wounds, 
spots, wrinkles, and sunburnings, an oint- 
ment is made of the leaves, and hog’s 
grease. 
CRAB’S CLAWS. 
Cattep also Water Sengreen, Knight’s - 
Pond Water, Water House-leek, Pond 
Weed, and Fresh-water Soldier. 
Descript.] It has sundry long narrow 
leaves, with sharp prickles on the edges of 
them also, very sharp pointed; the stalks 
which bear flowers, seldom grow so high as 
the leaves, bearing a forked head, like a 
Crab’s Claw, out of which comes a white 
flower, consisting of three leaves, with 
divers yellowish hairy threads in the mid- 
dle; it takes root in the mud in the bottom 
of the water. 
Place.| It grows plentifully in the fens 
in Lincolnshire. 
Time.] It- flowers in June, and usually 
from thence till August. 
Government and virtues.]| ’Tis a plant 
under the dominion of Venus, and there- 
fore a great strengthener of the reins; it is 
excellently good for inflammation which is 
commonly called St. Anthony’s Fire; it 
assuages inflammations, and swellings in 
wounds; and an ointment made of it is 
excellently good to heal them; there is 
Scarcely a better remedy growing than this 
is, for such as have bruised their kidneys, 
and upon that account discharge blood; a 
dram of the powder of the herb taken 
every morning, is a very good remedy to 
stop the terms. 
BLACK CRESSES. 
Descript.] Ir has long leaves, deeply 
cut and jagged on both sides, not much 
unlike wild mustard; the stalk small, very 
limber, though very tough; you may twist 
them round as you may a willow before they 
break. The stones be very small and yel- 
low, after which comes small pods, which 
contain the seed. 
Place.]| It is a common herb, grows 
usually by the way-side, and sometimes 
upon mud walls about London, but it 
delights to grow most among stones and 
rubbish. 
Time.] It flowers in June and July, 
and the seed is ripe in August and Septem- 
ber. 
Government and virtues.| Itis a plant of 
a hot and biting nature, under the dominion 
of Mars. The seed of Black Cresses 
strengthens the brain exceedingly, being, 
in performing that office, little inferior to 
mustard seed, if at all; they are excellent 
good to stay those rheums which may fall 
down from the head upon the lungs; you 
may beat the seed into powder, if you 
please, and make it up into an electuary 
with honey; so you have an excellent 
remedy by you, not only for the premises, 
but also for the cough, yellow jaundice and 
sciatica. This herb boiled into a poultice, 
is an excellent remedy for inflammations, 
both in women’s breasts, and men’s testicles. 
SCIATICA CRESSES. 
Descript.| Tuese are of two kinds: 
The first rises up with a round stalk about 
two feet high, spreads into divers branches, 
whose lower leaves are somewhat larger 
than the upper, yet all of them cut or torn 
on the edges, somewhat like the garden 
cresses, but smaller, the flowers are small 
and white, growing at the tops of branches, 
where afterwards grow husks with small 
brownish seeds therein very strong and 
sharp in taste, more than the cresses of the 
garden; the root is long, white, and woody. 
The other has the lower leaves whole, 
somewhat long and broad, not torn at all, 
but only somewhat deeply dented about 
the edges towards the ends; but those that _ 
grow up higher are smaller. The flowers — : 
and seeds are like the former, and so is a 
